Senior Class Selects 2018 Collins Outstanding Professor Award Recipient

March 16, 2018
Rebecca McCumbers Flavin

Rebecca McCumbers Flavin

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WACO, Texas (March 16, 2018) — Rebecca McCumbers Flavin, Ph.D., senior lecturer of political science at Baylor University, has been selected as this year’s Collins Outstanding Professor Award recipient. This award is distinctive because the recipient is determined by the senior class.

“I was very pleasantly surprised by the news I have been selected as the Collins Outstanding Professor,” Flavin said. “I didn’t realize I had been nominated. I am very humbled by this honor. It means so much to be recognized in any way, but when the award comes from the students, it is especially meaningful.”

The award is generously provided by the Carr P. Collins Foundation to recognize and honor outstanding teachers at Baylor University. Faculty who have taught full time for four years are eligible for nomination. Students nominate and vote on professors based on how they have been impacted through teaching, mentoring and advising.

“I loved taking Constitutional Development with Dr. Flavin. Even though I’m not a political science major, she was so passionate about the subject material that it made me want to learn more,” said Emily Sedate, a student at Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. “Every day she made class fun and unique, and it was obvious that she cared about forming us into well-informed citizens.”

The Collins Professor receives a cash award of $10,000, recognition in University publications, citation on a plaque and recognition at the spring commencement. Flavin also will deliver a special lecture on a subject of her choice that will be published and made available to the University community. Information on this lecture will be available on the Baylor website.

“I am proud but not surprised that my colleague has been awarded this honor. No one is more dedicated, conscientious and inspiring in her teaching than Dr. Flavin; no one is more concerned for the wellbeing of her students; no one is wiser and more perceptive in identifying the best ways of instructing them,” said David Clinton, Ph.D., department chair and professor of political science. “She is the model of an excellent teacher, and I applaud the wisdom of the students in selecting her for the award.”

For more information about the Collins Award, visit the Baylor Collins Outstanding Professor Award website.

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Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.